I think you are right about Lenihan. I can see him running his contract down unless we offer a big rise which is unlikely. He has made the Ireland squad and a good season could give him a lot of options this time next year. It would be good to see Chapman and Armstrong return but I would think Jack Payne could possibly be a cheaper option. He has 1 year left on his contract at Huddersfield so they may want to get rid while they can still get a fee. Not as good as the other two players but I can see him being considered. Fits with Venky's 'young and hungry' mantra

I have the same worries. Venky's share price has plummeted since Tony went to India. It's possible other issues will take priority over Rovers' transfer budget. Hopefully not.

I would say cautious rather than negative - but thanks anyway. To me, a stated aim of being 'youthfully competitive' is not particularly ambitious. If we sign 5 youngsters who send us racing up the league table I will be more than happy.

I sometimes wonder if Tony has been given a directive from above and doesn't have a free hand at the moment. Mowbray has also said he wants to give last year's squad a chance at playing in the championship as a reward for their great work and attitude last season. If we sign youthful players good enough for the first team then some of last years team will have to drop out. We have a few youthful players of our own who are knocking on the door. Last year we borrowed a couple of youngsters from the premiership who were no better than the ones we had ( from West Brom and Liverpool ?). I think the quote from Tony (above) is very carefully composed and it gives grounds for optimism but doesn't really promise much.

I remember Gavin Friday the singer from the Virgin Prunes. A fellow countryman of yours. Turning the thread on it's head, how did Emile Heskey get 62 England caps?

Another 5% wiped off today as soon as the market opened. Then suspended. Don't think they will be answering Tony's phone calls at the moment

Yes that's right. Cattle slaughter and the sale of beef were banned in many states in India. So Venky's made massive profits from extra poultry sales. Share prices rose accordingly. There could be indications of a change in legislation which will put beef back on the menu so speculators are selling Venky's shares while they are still relatively high. The worst that is likely to happen that the shares return to pre beef-ban levels ( when Venky's decided they needed to sell Cairney, Gestede etc !)

I honestly don't know what is happening. I have a friend in India who keeps me updated on these things. He works in financial markets and can't explain it either. Seems to be a rush to sell. Forecasts for the long term are mixed. Some analysts advise sell others say hold. Not many advising buy at the moment which suggests further falls. I think that report is from about 3 months ago when share price was maxed out.

Venky's (India) shares currently have a 5% circuit limit. That means trading is suspended when a change in share price reaches this limit on any given day. Today the share price dropped 5% in first 6 minutes of trading then suspended. Share price down 30% in 30 days. Expect a 5% drop each day for some time to come.

I notice Venky's (India) share price has been on a steady decline over the last month - almost 25% down since 1st May. May be a bad time to be asking for transfer budget.

Maybe he fancies waiting for a chance back at his hometown club - Barcelona!

I'm sure they would sell plenty of shirts if they had the word 'OUT' underneath Venky's. I'd buy one for sure

It may not hurt them as such but how does it benefit them in any way at all? Even mega rich people don't like wasting large amounts of money on things they have no interest in. There must come a point when they say enough is enough

I don't think that was how you explained it on the podcast unless I am missing something

It's been a very interesting thread - well done to Herbie and PLJPB for enlightening us all. If we had owners that we could trust and communicate with, there would be no need for us to worry. If the Venky's investment is £130 rather than £250 then that is less than £20m per year. A drop in the ocean in corporate Venkyland and probably less than the club's income from other sources. Given that the losses and outgoings are not itemised for us to see, I would not be surprised if the £130m is not offset by some of the incoming transfer profits and TV money. Maybe they have actually spent very little at all! Venky's admit they bought Rovers as an advertising vehicle for their company. They have no interest in football or Blackburn or the fans. Why would they keep throwing money at a failed venture? Maybe we can't use the term 'stripping' but the assets Rovers had in 2010 have all but gone and the money has not been reinvested. What does the future hold now that we can't top up the coffers with money from player sales?

Hey Herbie, thanks for going to the effort of explaining everything. Much appreciated. I am just naturally suspicious of V's motives and want to understand exactly what they are up to and why. Anyway you have helped a lot. One day maybe we will discuss Rovers without these buggars even getting a mention. We can live in hope.

As an earlier post suggests, I know nothing about company accounts. My repeated question, which maybe someone could answer, is where in the accounts are the outgoings itemised. The accounts keep declaring more losses each year but I don't see any detail anywhere. That is why I question whether Venky's really have poured in £250m. where has the money gone? Share value wise, Venky's companies worldwide are at an all time high - up 1600% in two years. They are paying off their corporate debts at a rapid rate while their net worth is high - see the graph on the web page link below. So why is Rovers debt continuing to grow? It doesn't fit with Venky's other companies. Why is there so little money in the bank with a stated overdraft of £13m ? I am very worried that when their stock is not so high we will be in real trouble. https://simplywall.st/stocks/in/food-beverage-tobacco/nse-venkys/venkys-india-shares/news/are-venkys-india-limiteds-nsevenkys-interest-costs-too-high/

I know that you have studied the accounts and often quote the £250m figure but I just find it all very suspect. Is it £120m worth of shares (which they can sell ) and £130 debt (which they have borrowed). In the last set of accounts turnover is £16m and wages £22.6m so the recent issuing of shares probably covers the difference. On top of that there is a declared loss of £17.9m for the year but this does not seem to be itemised anywhere - where is this explained in the accounts? Cash in the bank is only £223,806 and the overdraft is nearly £14m! with £109m owed elsewhere that seems incredible to me. How do these figures compare to other clubs ? creative accounting maybe.

Maybe peanuts to you but we want to reduce debt not increase it. No way we are going to be paying anyone 20K a week.

I'd love the Jordan Rhodes of a few years ago to return but fear he is no longer the same player. As for 20 K per week - way out of our league these days. Would simply be piled onto the ever increasing debt.

But have Venky's really spent £250 million on Rovers? Maybe they squirrelled away all the parachute money, the TV money, the profits from players etc and then used the same money to issue shares and loan money back to the club? If they really have ploughed all that income back into the club and it has cost £250 million on top of that and we are still massively in debt then how do other clubs manage to survive without having the same problems? It just doesn't add up to me.

Surely it's only a hobby if you are interested in it and enjoy it. Don't think either applies to Venky's where Rovers are concerned.

And still very worrying. It's good that we have a clearer picture of the context of the quote but there is nothing positive about it.

I never quite understand how the declared losses per year relate to the club's debt figures that are often quoted. I just did a quick scan through old LT reports on Rovers finances and found these figures recorded for the debts at the end of each season: 2014 £54.5 million 2015 £79.8 million 2017 £106.4 million What is it now ? I've seen £120 quoted somewhere. Is it that all the shares issued and money paid in by Venky's just get added to the club debt? Maybe this is the problem. I seem to remember it is total declared losses/debts that count towards FFP, not how much money is spent or received.

interesting article on Venky's finances https://simplywall.st/stocks/in/food-beverage-tobacco/nse-venkys/venkys-india-shares/news/are-venkys-india-limiteds-nsevenkys-interest-costs-too-high/